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TODAY´S NEWS

Bates clinches Coke deal for east

Bates has clinched the Coke regional account from Equus Advertising, piping several top agencies pitching for the big cola brand account. For Bates, this is a real moral booster, coming close on the heels of losing out on Berger’s WeatherCoat account to Lowe Lintas last week.

The Bates regional office, which notched a billing of Rs 35 crore last year, has roped in professionals from Mudra and HTA to bolster its creative and client servicing.

The Coke regional account was being handled by Equus for nearly two years now. The Coke regional account is believed to be in the region of about Rs 2.5 crore.

Bates is said to have contested other agencies, including Lowe Lintas, McCann Erickson, O&M and Trikaya Grey. Nationally, McCann, O&M, Leo Burnett handle the major brands like Coke, Sprite, Limca, Kinley, Thums Up and Fanta.

Apart from a national branding pattern, Coke deputes either its own national agency or a separate agency to handle its regional accounts in a decentralised format.

Coca-Cola has a market share of about 62 per cent in the eastern region. The Thums Up brand has the highest market share at 33-34 per cent in the east.